Life may have been hard on Addie French, but when she meets friendless Emma Roby on a train, all her protective instincts emerge. Emma's brother is seeing her off to Nalgitas to marry a man she has never met. And Emma seems like a lost soul to Addie-someone who needs Addie's savvy and wary eye. It isn't often that Addie is drawn to anyone as a friend, but Emma seems different somehow. When Emma's prospective fails to show up at the train depot, Addie breaks all her principles to shelter the girl at her brothel, The Chili Queen. But once Emma enters Addie's life, the secrets that unfold and schemes that are hatched cause both women to question everything they thought they knew. With Sandra Dallas's trademark humor, charm, and pathos, The Chili Queen will satisfy anyone who has ever longed for happiness. The Chili Queen is the winner of the 2003 Spur Award for Best Western Novel.

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

A humorous compilation of personal anecdotes, recipes, and advice from the Sweet Potato Queens explains how to plan for an extraordinary wedding, as well as how to survive the nastiest divorce.

Part I. Neighborhood life and experiential Latino panethnicity -- Introducing Corona -- Women and convivencia diaria -- Stores, workplaces, and public space -- Roman Catholic parishes -- Protestant churches -- Part II. Female leadership and institutional Latino panethnicity -- Introducing Latino organizations in Queens -- Social service organizations -- Cultural politics -- Formal politics -- Conclusion : Women and the creation of Latino panethnicity.